VSP Vision Innovation Challenge for Vision-Related Companies and Technology

The VSP^® Global Innovation Center^® and MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, are partnering for the second annual VSP Vision™ Innovation Challenge.  

Up to six vision-related companies will be selected to receive expert mentorship and exclusive resources to refine their solutions and present them live on stage during Vision Expo West, the optical industry’s largest gathering of vision care professionals and executives.   

Topcon Healthcare, Inc. is supporting the 2025 program, offering selected early-stage startups the potential to secure a $400,000 investment from their THINC Ventures corporate venture capital arm, or for growth-stage startups to present directly to THINC Ventures.  

Challenge timeline:  

• Now through June 5: Applications open for the VSP Innovation Challenge  
• June 9: Three later-stage and three early-stage finalists are selected and notified; Cohort is announced  
• August 11 – September 5, 2025: Finalists participate in a four-week startup bootcamp to enhance and refine their pitch 
• Week of September 15, 2025: Finalists present their solutions in person at Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Who Should Apply: 

• Early and late-stage vision care companies enhancing the eye care experience.  
• ODs and doctor founders with a novel industry solution. 
• Digital health companies that have recently launched a new vision care feature, functionality, or vertical.  
• Startups and technologies with a connection to a trend in VSP Vision’s ‘Future Eye: 10 Vision Trends Transforming Healthcare’ report, such as a digital therapeutic addressing myopia or smart eyewear with built-in health tracking.  

For more information and to apply, please visit the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge website.